


In which Gabriel realizes

by ThisWasntTaken



Series: Sweet Justice [5]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, But he deals, Gabriel had issues, It's only Destiel for a little, It's only a coincidence that the OMC is named Richard and looks like Gabriel, M/M, Meeting the Parents, My stories change POV like nobody's business, Only the "parents" is his older brother, Unlike the Winchesters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-17
Updated: 2013-09-17
Packaged: 2017-12-26 21:22:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/970437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisWasntTaken/pseuds/ThisWasntTaken
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean meets Gabriel again, this time in the capacity of Castiel's boyfriend. Gabriel misses his family, but not his home. Sam gets a boyfriend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In which Gabriel realizes

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys. I literally have half a paragraph written for the next one, and I like for it to be done before I post, but my grandmother just died and I don't know how long it'll be before I finish it. So here's this, with the disclaimer that I reserve the right to minor edits.
> 
> Also, please read the previous part of this series. It has way fewer views than the others because it's mostly Destiel and this (though the prompt was Destiel) is a Sabriel story, but there is major background information for Gabriel in it. I guess it's your choice though. Thanks for reading!

Two weeks after Gabriel realizes that the only way to not be in love with Sam Winchester is to not be friends with Sam Winchester, he comes home to see _Dean_ Winchester snuggling with Cas on the couch. He can’t say he didn’t see it coming. “Hey, Cas.”  
“Hello, Gabriel. How was your day?” Castiel asks.  
“Busy, which I guess is a good thing. Just tell that to my blood pressure,” Gabriel says, plops down on the loveseat. “Hey, Dean. Haven’t seen you in a while.”  
“Hey, Gabriel,” Dean says, and Gabriel can tell by the way his arm tightens around Castiel that they had agreed to play it cool but that Dean was freaking out.  
“How was your day, Cassie?”  
“Dean and I finished watching _Star_ _Wars_ and have agreed to tell you about our relationship.”  
“I do miss _Star Wars_ ,” Gabriel nods. “Did you start with _The Phantom Menace_ or _A New Hope_?”  
“ _A New Hope_ ,” Castiel says.  
“Interesting choice. A lot of people choose canon chronology over actual chronology.”  
“I chose to start with less-shitty,” Dean says.  
“Always a good way to go,” Gabriel agrees. “I need to hit the hay. I have to be in at nine to open tomorrow.” He heads to the stairs and Dean relaxes. Halfway up the stairs, Gabe says, “Hey, Cassie?”  
“Yes?” Castiel asks.  
“Congratulations.”  
“Thank you, Gabriel.”

As Gabriel lies in bed, he begins to think. He hates times like this. He always thinks about home, about Michael and Luke and their endless fights, about Anna’s pretty face and electric personality, about the antics he and Balthazar got up to. He doesn’t miss home, he really doesn’t. Somehow all of the factors added up to an unbearable, stifling home, but he does miss the factors. Maybe monthly, Gabriel almost calls to check in. Sometimes he does call, and Michael answers. He always hangs up without saying anything; he knows it killed Michael that they left. Anna and Balthazar sent a postcard saying that they had moved to England together, and he did call them once. It was stilted, awkward, but he was relieved to hear their voices and he could tell they felt the same.

But this time he doesn’t think about home, about Michael and Luke and their endless fights, about that past that seems so distant. No, what comes to Gabriel’s mind as he’s lying in bed is Sam’s face. He remembers the first time he saw Sam, from his crouched position, and how Sam’s face hadn’t seemed to get closer when he’d stood up. Sam later confirmed his height as 6’4”, a full eight inches taller than Gabriel. Gabriel remembers how Sam had laughed, how he’d flushed and thanked him for the conversation, how he’d later told him that Gabriel was the first person he’d met since moving to Stanford that he felt he really fit in with.

Why did Sam have to ruin it? Gabriel told him he couldn’t do it, that he wasn’t able to be someone’s experiment anymore. Why did he press? Can this ever be fixed? Besides maybe-loving him, Gabriel _likes_ Sam. Gabriel wants to be around Sam, wants Sam to be happy. Sam’s a kid, though. He’s selfish and he only sees what he wants, not what it does to other people. Maybe he’ll grow up and they can try this again. _But_ , Gabriel realizes, _worrying about it instead of sleeping won’t help anything_.

***

Sam also thinks he ruined it. He thought if he could get Gabriel to see that he was serious, that he really wanted to be with him, Gabriel would change his mind. Sam knows Gabriel lied about just wanting a fuck: everything Gabriel had said to that point spoke to a desire for a serious relationship. If Gabriel just wanted a lay, what would it matter if Sam usually liked women? _No use worrying about it_ , Sam sighs, and turns over to go to sleep. He has to be up bright and early in the morning.

***

“Come on, Sam,” Luke says. “If you’re really looking to try, just come to the party. It’s okay to say ‘no’ to guys you don’t like, and gays don’t bite—often.”  
“I have homework,” Sam says.  
“Which is why I’m telling you in advance, so you can make plans to get the homework done and go to the party.”  
“Fine.”  
“Yes!” Luke kisses him. “I’m going to be the most-loved guy at the party.”  
“Not by me,” Sam pokes, and wipes his mouth with faux-disgust.

***

“Hey,” a cute, young guy with honey-brown hair and hazel eyes says.  
“Hey,” Sam smiles.  
“I’m Richard,” the guy holds out his hand.  
Sam shakes it, “Sam.”

“So, you’re at Stanford?” Richard asks.  
“Yeah. I’m getting my law degree,” Sam says.  
“Sam, _juris doctor_ ,” Richard smiles.  
“I’m impressed. Most people don’t know what the letters _are_ , much less what they stand for.”  
“It would sound more impressive if I could put a last name with it.”  
“Winchester.”  
“Like the rifles?”  
“Just like the rifles.”  
“Mine is Munch, as in Edvard, as in—”  
“ _The Scream_ ,” Sam says.  
“Just like _The Scream_ ,” Richard smiles, impressed. “Even if a lot of people know the painting, Edvard Munch isn’t exactly Picasso. He’s not studied much.”

Sam and Richard talk pretty much the whole night. As the party winds down, Richard says, “Do you want to get out of here?”  
“I—” Sam says. “I’m not gay.”  
“What?”  
“It’s not like—I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about it lately, and I am attracted to you, but I know what I usually mean when I ask someone if they wanna ‘get out of here,’ and I thought I should tell you that I’m not entirely comfortable with that right now.”  
“Okay,” Richard nods. “Thanks for being up-front about it. How about we just go grab a bite or something, then?”  
“I’d love that.”

***

Sam and Castiel strike up a friendship, between Castiel coming over to spend time with Dean and conversations in the hallway outside of the classroom they have in common. Sam doesn’t tell Cas about Richard, though, because it feels wrong for the message to get back to Gabriel through Castiel. _If_ they even talk about him.

“Sam?” Richard asks, seeing Sam waiting for the class before his to let out so they can sit inside.  
“Richard?” Sam asks. “Hey. What are you doing here? I’ve never seen you here before.”  
“I don’t have a class here. I was just running an errand.” The class lets out and his class files in. Since there aren’t so many people around now, Sam pulls Richard in and kisses him.  
“Do you have anything to do after your errand?”  
“I’m free for a while, and you’ve got fifteen minutes until your class starts,” Richard says, and kisses Sam again. “I was thinking that we’d go to Gabriel’s today after your classes. I love the sweets there, and you, Mr. Coffee Aficionado, will love the java.”  
“I—” Sam starts.  
“Don’t say you can’t,” Richard whines and kisses him. “I haven’t been able to see you in two weeks.”  
“No, you haven’t. So you’re doing an awful lot of talking,” Sam says and pulls him back in.

“Sam?” Cas asks. Richard steps back.  
“Hey, Cas,” Sam says.  
“Hey, Dr. Novak,” Richard says.  
“Richard, right?” Cas asks, and Richard nods.

“How do you two know each other that you’re on a first-name basis?” Richard asks.  
“Cas is dating my brother, actually,” Sam says.  
“Oh, really? Wow. It’s a small world.”  
“Hardly, considering Gabriel and I set them up.”  
“Gabriel?”  
“Old friend,” Sam says. “Cas’ brother.”  
“Oh. That’s cool,” Richard says.

“I will see you tomorrow, Sam,” Cas says.  
“See you tomorrow,” Sam says, and Castiel leaves. “And I’ll see you after class,” he kisses Richard. “We’ll do whatever you want.”  
“I can think of a few things…” Richard says.  
“Don’t abuse my goodwill.” Richard pecks him on the lips and leaves.

After class, they walk to Gabriel’s. Richard keeps talking about how he can’t believe Sam’s never been, and Sam hopes that nothing happens to let Richard know otherwise. He wishes there were some way to warn Gabriel, since he promised all those months ago that he’d do just that if he came in with a boyfriend. Maybe it’s narcissistic, but Sam likes to believe that Gabriel still cares.

“Welcome to Gabriel’s Chocolate and Coffee,” Ed says as they come in. “Sam? Hey, long time no see.”  
“Hey, Ed,” Sam says, tries to play it off.  
“You guys know each other?” Richard asks.  
“Sort of. Sam used to come in a lot, so we just knew each other from that,” Ed says.  
“You used to come in here?” Richard asks. “You said you’d never been.”  
“You said I’d never been. I just didn’t correct you.”  
“Anyway, can I get your order?” Ed asks.

“Why didn’t you correct me?” Richard asks, once they’re seated.  
“Because I didn’t want to get into why I stopped coming, which you know would have been the next question,” Sam says.  
“Why did you?” Richard asks, and Gabriel comes over to the table.  
“Hey. How’re we doing today?” Gabriel asks.  
“We’re great, thanks,” Sam says.  
“We’re a little less than great,” Richard says.  
“I can’t believe this is gonna be an issue,” Sam says.  
“You made it an issue when you lied about it.”  
“I didn’t lie.”  
“You didn’t tell the truth.”  
“Richard…”  
“Why did you stop coming?”  
“Richard, please—”  
“Tell me, Sam.”  
“Because Gabriel broke up with me,” Sam says.  
“What?” Richard asks.  
Sam sighs. “Technically, we were never dating, but we were headed in that direction, I thought, but we weren’t looking for the same things. There are plenty of places more convenient to the school to get coffee, if I’m not going out of my way to see Gabriel.”  
“Maybe I should go,” Gabriel says.  
“I appreciate you stopping by and trying to be normal,” Sam says. “Congratulations on how well this place is doing, by the way.”  
“Thanks,” Gabriel says, and he leaves.

“You two?” Richard asks, earning a nod from Sam. “We look alike.”  
“So I have a type. He’s the one who made me think I might be gay,” Sam says. “It doesn’t mean anything more than that.”  
“Okay,” Richard says, and they’re silent for a long time. When they start to leave, Gabriel pulls Sam aside and asks him to start coming again. Sam just says he has to go, but he thinks he probably will.

***

It’s been months since Gabriel and Sam called it quits. He still thinks about him sometimes (a lot) and wonders how his “big, gay freak out” went. Dean is over all the time to hang out with Cassie, and Gabriel really enjoys his company. They have the same taste in movies, in jokes, in pranks (one time, Castiel almost broke up with Dean over that, so they don’t prank together anymore, sadly). Sometimes he tries to ask Dean, but Dean doesn’t really know what went on, says Sam won’t tell him, and so he doesn’t give a lot of information. Sam talks about someone, maybe they’re dating or maybe not, but Dean doesn’t reveal genders or names, and Gabriel can’t really ask for more. What would he say? “Hey, I’m actually madly in love with your brother so could you just _tell_ _me_ how hopeless I am?”  
Sam never comes into the bakery anymore, and Gabriel supposes that makes sense. He was pretty cruel about it, but he had tried to make him give it up, tried to tell him that he couldn’t, but Sam wouldn’t listen. He had no other options.

Gabriel looks at the picture on his desk, thinks maybe it’s weird to keep it up since he and Sam aren’t friends anymore and it just perpetuates this “thinking about Sam” thing. He lays it down so that he can’t see it, and Ed comes in. He’d hired another cashier, Harry (a friend of Ed’s), and a busboy named Corbett (who has grown obsessed with Ed), but Ed is still the one who works the most.  
“Gabriel?” Ed asks.  
“Yeah?” Gabriel asks.  
“You told me a while ago to tell you when Sam comes in, and I don’t know if it still stands, since it’s been so long, but he’s here.”  
Gabriel is shocked into silence for a moment but pulls himself together and replies, “Okay. Thank you,” and he stands up.

When he gets onto the floor, he sees that Sam is sitting across from a guy and he panics that maybe this is the one Dean said Sam’s been talking about, but he forces himself to go over anyway.  
“Hey. How’re we doing today?” Gabriel asks, and Sam responds that they’re great but the boy across from Sam says they’re not. They argue for another minute and finally Sam blurts out (apparently on the subject of why Sam doesn’t come to the shop anymore), “Because Gabriel broke up with me,” and Gabriel—already conflicted about staying for the argument—experiences, simultaneously, the inability to move and the desire to _not be here_. Sam explains that he thought he and Gabriel were headed that way but that they were looking for different things, and he only came here in the first place to see Gabriel.  
And it hits Gabriel like a ton of bricks. Sam wanted him. Sam could have loved him, is sitting across from this boy that could be Gabe’s son, probably does the things Gabriel wanted to do with Sam with this boy instead, and it’s because Gabriel couldn’t see that Sam _wanted_ him. Gabriel got so tangled up in the worry that Sam wasn’t gay and might figure out that he couldn’t be gay that he never realized what might happen if Sam found out he _could_ be gay, never realized that they could be good, that they could be _great_.  
“Maybe I should go,” Gabriel says.  
“I appreciate you stopping by and trying to be normal,” Sam says. “Congratulations on how well this place is doing, by the way.”  
“Thanks,” Gabriel says, and he leaves. He goes to wipe down the counters and bus tables because, honestly, the reason he’d never hired a busboy is that he liked hanging out on the floor so he could see Sam. For the rest of the time Sam and the boy are there, they don’t say much. They get up to leave and Sam gets the boy’s jacket for him, holds it so that the boy can put it on. Gabriel grabs Sam’s arm and the boy waits by the door.  
“Maybe you could start coming by again,” Gabriel says. “I have the best coffee in the area, and we…we could be friends. I liked spending time with you.”  
“Sam?” the boy calls.  
“I have to go,” Sam says, joining the boy as he walks out the door.

**Author's Note:**

> The picture Gabriel has on his desk is of him and Sam making stupid faces. It just seemed like something Gabriel would have.


End file.
